Kokoda tribute on track

BATTALIONS of schoolchildren are due to march in a spirit of respect and remembrance in Ferntree Gully this week.
Up to 450 children from 17 local schools are expected to attend a special ANZAC commemoration ceremony at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk in the Dandenong Ranges National Park tomorrow (Wednesday, 12 April) at 11am.
The general public is also invited to attend the ceremony which is being held by The Yarra Valley Group of Melbourne Legacy.
Memorial plaques honouring the efforts of the 39th and the 2/14th battalions on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea during World War II were installed on sections of the Ferntree Gully Track and 1000 Steps in 1997.
President of the 39th Battalion Association Alan Moore will give a speech at the ceremony which will also include hymns and a flag raising ceremony.
A choir from the Ferny Creek Primary School and the Upwey High School Band will also perform under the direction of their respective music teachers, Karen Noonan and Sarah Gill.
Parks Victoria chief ranger Siobhan Rogan said it would be great to see students learning about this important part of Australia’s history in the National Park.
The Kokoda Track Memorial Walk is accessed via the Mount Dandenong Tourist Road, Upper Ferntree Gully.